Fenty Beauty’s Lip Liners Are Worth the Hype—and Remind Us That Black Representation in Beauty Matters

Rihanna really nailed the shade range.

It’s hard to be disappointed in Rihanna. The Grammy award-winning artist has consistently dropped greatness—from her last ANTI album to her latest Fenty Hair line, the icon keeps us on our toes.

Her most recent accomplishment is the arrival of her lip liners, a fan request since the brand’s birth in 2017. While Fenty’s products are known for being nothing short of amazing, this category symbolized something more—representation.

Fenty Beauty Trace'd Out Longwear Waterproof Pencil Lip Liner

While it's no secret that the beauty industry is oversaturated these days, there wasn’t always a seat at the table for Black brands. “Fenty Beauty was one of the first brands to disrupt the market by coming out with a broader range of colors, evenly ranging across the color spectrum, and the industry is still catching up,” says Samreen Arshad, CEO and founder of SamreensVanity , a makeup brand geared towards women of color. “Historically, the beauty industry has focused on their demand perception, which is those with lighter skin tones.”

Before the launch of Fenty, on average, makeup brands only contained 12 to 15 shade range options—many of which were non-inclusive. Today, there are over 50 shade range options in Fenty’s line, and thanks to the “Fenty effect,” other brands are making efforts to be more inclusive. However, there is still more work that needs to be done.

As most Black consumers know, lip liners usually still miss the mark regarding deeper/darker skin tones. Reds can appear as browns, and browns can appear as nothing on pigmented lips. The new Fenty lip liners were specifically designed with people of color in mind, boasting darker colors of a richly pigmented, cream formula.

Of course, I had to test the product myself to ensure the brand lived up to its continued hype. When I applied the first swipe, I was in actual shock. I tried Coal Blooded, the deepest and darkest shade in the line. I will admit, I was skeptical—most dark lip liners tend to pull just black on my skin, and lack the brown pigment to really complement my skin/lips. However, that was not the case—this shade blended with my lips seamlessly.

The formula itself was extra creamy and glided on with ease. I bite my lips often and sometimes have broken skin, but there was not a single tug or pull, and no patchiness either. The pencil shape and pointed tip made it more than easy to trace my cupid bow, all while also hydrating my lips. Afterward, I filled it with Fenty's new Gloss Bomb Stix for a perfect pout.

Not only were the liners formulated with all skin types in mind, they held something valuable: representation through pigmentation. The perfect shade match represented not only the happiness and beautiful empowerment I felt from the deep rich brown color, but also the fact that someone in the cosmetic industry finally heard the requests from customers who looked like me. I can say in true Rihanna fashion, you can’t kiss it any better than with these lip liners.

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